Sharing the Word

As one of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) pastors affiliated with a parochial school it’s been my honor to begin the year by teaching the 8th grade religion class at the start of the day at Concordia Lutheran School. Today, I was also relieved to find that our drill this week was for tornadoes and other foul weather and not a fire drill – we didn’t have to go outside (high today of 101 degrees with heat index of 115) but got to stay in the building! But I digress…

It’s also been nice to start the year with new curricula. All of the grade levels are on the same Biblical lesson each week. This orients our weeks and helps anchor the chapel homilies on Wednesdays.

The first week we started, of course, with Genesis. By the time for chapel in week two we were in Genesis chapter three. This is a chapter rich in theology! We have Satan lying and tempting Adam and Eve to sin. We have Martin Luther’s assertion that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the first altar in the world – where Adam and Eve would sacrifice their desires to determine good and evil and simply rely on God to teach them.

Alas, they fell into sin with their disobedience. But then, along with the listing of the consequences we have the promise of a Savior Who, though His heal would be crushed, would crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15). This Jesus does in delivering the mortal blow through His crucifixion and resurrection to forgive the sins of the world!

One last blessing of the start of the school year is the theme chosen for the year. It’s a good theme for all of us, regardless of the time of year. Joshua 1: 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”